“Absolutely nothing,” he admitted. “But I’ve been told that for now, we’ll be taking direction from the local sheriff’s office. Specifically, Sparrow, who happens to be dating Stone Bishop.”
“I’m supposed to know him?”
“He’s part of the Brotherhood Protectors. Haven’t you checked into your makeshift headquarters yet?”
“I literally just pulled into town. I haven’t even dropped my stuff off at wherever I’m staying.”
He chuckled. “Didn’t you see the sign for Lost Valley Ranch when you parked?”
“I did. But like I said, I just got here and it looks like our friendly cop is waving at us.” She nodded and waved back. “I take it you and she are on a first-name basis.”
“You make that sound so dirty and Stone wouldn’t appreciate that.”
“You took it that way. I didn’t say it that way.” She shook her head as if disgusted by his comment, but her smile said otherwise.
Walker placed a hand on Fay’s back and nudged her toward the table where Sparrow and one of her colleagues, a man by the name of Andrew Wilder, were waiting for them. “Lieutenant Oakley.” He stuck his hand out. “Deputy Wilder. This is Fay Clayton. She’s one of Beck’s girls.”
“Ex-CIA,” Wilder said. “We’ve read a little about you. Impressive.”
“Not really, but thank you. Now what is it that you need our help with?” Fay didn’t waste any time as she slid into the booth next to Wilder.
The few times Walker had worked with or been around Fay, she’d always been direct and to the point. The only time she’d ever wavered or was at a loss for words had been when she’d visited him in the hospital.
Walker slipped into the booth. He glanced around the restaurant. All the usual locals were in all their usual perches. This wasn’t the best place to discuss police business, but Sparrow had her reasons.
He just hadn’t been filled in yet.
“We’d like you to look into a couple of cold cases,” Sparrow said.
That’s not what Walker had expected. Certainly not what the Brotherhood Protectors was all about, but who was he to question his assignment. Jake approved all assignments before they were taken, and that meant Hank had given them his thumbs-up.
“What do you mean by that, exactly?” Fay asked.
Sparrow pushed a thick file across the table. “There are ten missing young men between the ages of seventeen and twenty-two. All were last seen heading in this direction.”
Fay handed the files to Walker without even taking a peek. “Were they runaways?”
“That makes the most sense,” Wilder said. “But no. They were headed somewhere to visit either family or friends when they went missing.”
“So, what you’re telling me is that all of these boys—men—had people in their lives that would notice immediately that they were gone.” Fay folded her hands on top of the table. She kept her voice even and stared straight ahead.
Walker hated it when she did that. She appeared cold and insensitive.
Maybe she was. It wasn’t like he knew her personally. All his encounters had been work-related. Even when she’d visited him in the hospital after they’d been debriefed, she’d kept her emotions close to the vest.
Actually, come to think of it, she hadn’t shown any.
“Yes,” Sparrow said. “As soon as the twenty-four-hour period was up, this office, in conjunction with other law enforcement agencies, searched their respective areas, but there have never been any clues. No arrests. Nothing.”
“Was there a pattern?” Fay asked.
“All boys. All about the same age. All traveling alone,” Wilder said.
“These cases happened over an eight-year span, ending six years ago,” Sparrow said. “And we never found the bodies, so it’s not like we can pull up a bunch of similar murder cases.”
“Are there any other connections?” Walker asked.
“A few minor ones. We wrote up a summary report for you which is in the top folder,” Wilder said.
Walker closed the files. “So, why now? And why us?”
Sparrow and Wilder exchanged a glance before Wilder tossed a twenty on the table.
Wilder handed Walker a second file, but this one only had a few pieces of paper inside. “A couple of days ago, Levi Jetson went missing.”
“Why does that name sound familiar?” Walker asked.
“His father is an insurance salesman and recently moved to Fool’s Gold. You might have seen him hanging out at Lucky Strike’s Casino. He likes to gamble,” Sparrow said.
“He’s been seen a couple of times in what appears to be a heated discussion with a known loan shark by the name of Craig Mantel,” Wilder added.
“Who saw them and what did they hear?” Fay asked before Walker had the chance.
He had to admit she was good at this part of the job. Always quick to ask the right questions and even faster at giving answers. But sometimes she withheld information that always got her in trouble.
“One of the employees at the casino mentioned they’d seen them together. We pulled security camera footage. There’s no sound, so we don’t know what they were discussing,” Sparrow said.
“So, for all you know, they could have been arguing over something that happened at a blackjack table.” Walker didn’t spend a lot of time at the casino, but he went once or twice and every time he did, a fight always broke out.
“It happens.” Sparrow nodded.
“Who does the kid live with?” Fay asked.
“His mom in Colorado Springs. He was on his way here to visit his dad for the weekend.”
“How long have Levi’s parents been divorced?” Fay asked what Walker was thinking.
“Not very long and from what we’ve learned, it wasn’t a good marriage to begin with,” Wilder said. “We’ve questioned them both. And they are hostile as hell.”
“Toward you?” Fay asked.
“Yes, but more so with each other,” Wilder said. “We had to separate them in fear fists would start flying.”
“You’ve searched their places? Vehicles? Questioned their employers?” Fay started.
“Of course.” Sparrow lifted her glass of water and took a sip.
Walker hadn’t gotten to know Sparrow that well, but he did know one thing about the lieutenant.
She wasn’t someone to fuck with or question her tactics. Not only was she badass and good at her job, but she came from a long line of very interesting people.
“Currently, there is no reason to suspect them. Neither one has a record. Just because they can’t stand each other, that doesn’t mean they’d hurt their boy. But we haven’t completely ruled them out, which is one of the reasons we’re sitting right here in this booth.” Sparrow fiddled with the straw. “Both Rosie and Pete appear to be genuinely concerned, but not enough to set aside their differences.”
“So, I take it one of them is in the bar?” Fay asked.
“Pete is. And he’s already given us an earful about how we’re not doing our job.” Sparrow leaned forward. “He’s not to know Fay is with the Brotherhood Protectors or that we’ve asked for your help with this one,” she whispered.
“Then why the fuck am I here?” Fay leaned back and folded her arms as if she’d been insulted.
Walker couldn’t blame her for that sentiment.
“Because you came to visit your boyfriend,” Sparrow said with a bright-as-the-sun smile.